Online Resource Guide for Prospective PMM Students

8/6/2019 Online Resource Guide for Prospective PMM Students

1/19

Pursuing Science

For High School Students Entering College

Created By: Sam Goldstein

Accelerated Premedical/Medical Student

The Pennsylvania State University

July 11th

, 2011

Prepared for High School Students Interested in Pursuing Science


2/19

2

Table of Contents: Page Number:

I. About this Guide 3a. Contents of this Guide 4b. Audience of this Guide 4c. Assumptions of this Guide 4d. Organization of this Guide 5e. Tips for Using this Guide 5

II. College Preparation Resources 6a. Penn StateEberly College of Science 7b. CollegeboardInspiring Minds 8c. KaplanTest Prep 9d. CramsterA Chegg Company 10

III. College Science Major Resources 11a. Wiley Online LibraryJournal of Computational Chemistry 12b. Catalogue of US Government Publications 13c. ScirusFor Scientific Information Only 14d. The 2011 Statistical AbstractU.S. Census Bureau 15

IV. Website Citations (Chronologically Ordered) 16a. Penn StateEberly College of Science 17b. CollegeboardInspiring Minds 17c. KaplanTest Prep 17d. CramsterA Chegg Company 17e. Wiley Online LibraryJournal of Computational Chemistry 17f. Catalogue of US Government Publications 17g. ScirusFor Scientific Information Only 17h. The 2011 Statistical AbstractU.S. Census Bureau 17

V. Image Citations (Chronologically Ordered) 18a. Penn State Logo 19b. Collegeboard Logo 19c. Kaplan Logo 19d. Cramster Logo 19e. Wiley Online Library Logo 19f. GPO Access Logo 19g. Scirus Logo 19h. Statistical Abstract of the United States Logo 19i. Penn State Watermarked Logo 19


3/19

3

About this Guide:


4/19

4

Contents of this Guide:

This guide contains the appropriate materials for high school students who wish to gain

acceptance into Penn States Accelerated Premedical/Medical (PMM) (B.S./M.D.) program.

Highlighted in this guide is information about this specific program, such as the application

requirements, the coursework, and the cost. Following this are resources that can be used during

high school to prepare for the college application process and to produce a suitable application

for acceptance. The last section includes websites that can be used during college by science

students when conducting research or when studying for required tests.

Audience of this Guide:

This guide is for high school students who are starting to think about the college process;

specifically students who wish to study science in Penn States Accelerated Premedical/Medical

program. These students will be able to use this guide throughout their science career using each

of the sections at different times. This guide can get high school students started on the correct

college path, and then continue to help them fulfill college class requirements with the given

research and homework help tools. Students already in college may find some of the information

in this guide useful; the research tools presented are applicable to all science students. Readers of

this guide should be motivated and interested in learning.

Assumptions of this Guide:

This guide assumes that the student wants to pursue a future in science starting with Penn States

Accelerated Premedical/Medical program. This guide will not convince a student to take on this

task; rather it assists students who have this as a goal. It is assumed that the reader understands

what the Internet is and its various uses. Considering this guide is written in English, the reader

should have a thorough understanding of the language or should have the resources to get it

translated.


5/19

5

Organization of this Guide:

This guide is presented in a chronological order of what resources the high school student

targeted will need at a given phase in the process of completing the program. The table of

contents clearly connects different sections of the guide to certain pages by providing page

numbers. First, the student is informed about the program, then ways to get high standardized

test scores are presented, followed by different tools for use during college. The table of contents

is very specific using secondary level headings for clarity.

Tips for Using this Guide:

Use the table of contents to be routed to the section desired.

Make sure to read the tips section at the end of each page describing a website. These tipsmake using each website much easier than if a first time user enters one of the websites.

When a suggestion is made, it is trustworthy. As someone who has gone through theprocess that is going to be described, you can believe me when I advise something.

If there is a section that you do not agree with completely, do not deem the rest of theguide useless. This information is very useful if used as presented.


6/19

6

College Preparation Resources:


7/19

7

Penn StateEberly College of Science

Location:http://www.science.psu.edu/premed/premedmed/accelerated-premed-medical

Reasons to visit this website:

This specific website is the homepage for the Penn States Premedical/Medical Program(B.S./M.D.)

Information regarding necessary high school classes to take, admissions requirements,coursework while in the program, and the cost and history of the program, can all be

found by clicking this one location.

A link to the academic advisors information is on the website. Dr. Ronald A. Markle canfield any questions regarding the program.

Description:

This website is a page on Penn States Eberly College of Science website that describes Penn

States Premedical/Medical Program. It is not interactive in nature, but contains every detail of

what the student is required to do to be accepted into the program. The website starts by

explaining what grades the student needs to obtain in high school course work, and what

SAT/ACT scores are needed in order to produce a valid application. The website then explains

what the cost of the program is, and then breaks each college year down into semesters. Each

semester shows the specific course work required by the student to complete all of the required

classes on time. To get accepted into the program, all requirements need to be obtained. To have

the highest chance of being accepted, the student must try to excel in every area described by thewebsite.

Tips:

Do not get discouraged by the bulk of material shown on the website. It is there to informthe reader, not to instill fear.

Rather than seeing the website as a list of burdensome tasks, use the information to makeyourself a better applicant.

Contact the academic advisor listed, Ronald A. Markle. He is a great resource, and cangive you the contact information of students currently enrolled in the program. Speaking

with them can give you a better sense of what the program is about.
http://www.science.psu.edu/premed/premedmed/accelerated-premed-medicalhttp://www.science.psu.edu/premed/premedmed/accelerated-premed-medicalhttp://www.science.psu.edu/premed/premedmed/accelerated-premed-medicalhttp://www.science.psu.edu/premed/premedmed/accelerated-premed-medical


8/19

8

CollegeboardInspiring Minds

Location:http://www.collegeboard.org/


Collegeboard is a comprehensive website that contains useful information about thecollege application process.

Vital materials needed to study for the SAT (scholastic aptitude test) are laid out in anorderly fashion.

Information about colleges and college programs are discussed in detail. Collegeboard satisfies the needs of students, parents, and teachers when it comes to high

school and college questions.

Description:

The collegeboard website is an extensive single source of information that covers material

specifically for high school students, and their families, looking to attend college. Information

about high school AP classes, SAT courses, the SAT itself, SAT dates, how to choose the correct

college, how to plan for college, and how to pay for college can all be found at this one website.

The SAT is actually given by Collegeboard, and the scores are sent to the students by

Collegeboard. Collegeboard is the main authority for high school students and is an incredibly

simple, concise resource for finding information about the high school and college processes.

Collegeboard has practice SAT questions on the website that should be completed in order to

earn the SAT score needed to be accepted into a high-level college program.

Tips:

Since the website is vast, it is important to choose the category that you fall under on thehomepage to be routed to relevant information e.g. click where it says STUDENTS in

purple in the middle of the homepage if you are a student.

It is very helpful to register to get a username and password so that any activity on thewebsite is logged. This is also where SAT scores are saved and can be accessed from any

computer. Keep your username and password written somewhere for easy access.

If you are a parent of a student and need information, click the STUDENTS tab on thehomepage, then click the PARENTS tab at the top left of the screen to be rerouted.

Any other questions can be answered by clicking the HELP tab at the top right of thepage, after clicking STUDENTS on the homepage.
http://www.collegeboard.org/http://www.collegeboard.org/http://www.collegeboard.org/http://www.collegeboard.org/


9/19

9

KaplanTest Prep

Location:http://www.kaptest.com/


Kaplan offers SAT and ACT preparation courses that are available all over the countrythat aid in obtaining the highest possible test scores.

Kaplan also offers MCAT tutoring which is a test that all students have to take in order toapply to medical school.

Studying correctly is integral in obtaining high standardized test scores; a service such asKaplan provides the information and techniques needed to conquer each standardized test

that a student will have to take.

Description:

Kaplan is a service that offers test preparation help via online tutoring, class sessions led by a

group tutor, and books that are designed to help students get higher test scores. Kaplan is known

for tutoring for the SAT, ACT, MCAT, LSAT, GMAT, GRE and many other tests. Considering

this, the homepage of the website is an important tool. If you are interested in SAT tutoring,

under college admissions on the homepage, click SAT. A page appears giving the options of

private or group tutoring. After signing up with Kaplan, a username and password are made and

each lesson taught is accessible from any computer via the internet. If interested in applying for

Penn States accelerated medical school program, an SAT score above 2100 is required to submit

an application. Kaplan is an unbelievable resource for all present and future standardized testingneeds.

Tips:

Be sure not to get lost in the website. On the homepage, click the link to the test you areinterested in which is most likely the SAT or ACT. From this page, information is given

about both group and private tutoring.

After signing up, take Kaplan classes very seriously. Each test taken is a large part of theapplication process. A great test score can make a student better than the rest of theapplicants.

Being overzealous with the amount of study aids used is always the way to go! There isno reason to skimp on resources if trying to get into Penn States Accelerated

Premedical/Medical Program.
http://www.kaptest.com/http://www.kaptest.com/http://www.kaptest.com/http://www.kaptest.com/


10/19

10

CramsterA Chegg Company

Location:http://www.cramster.com/my_cramster


Cramster offers homework help for various math, science, engineering, and financequestions.

While working on homework, whether high school or college level, Cramster has theresources not only to display the correct answers to questions, but also to show detailed

explanations.

Cramster is a network of students and tutors who help each other learn and understandvarious subjects.

Description:

Cramster is a website that offers homework help by having students post questions, which are

answered by either knowledgeable students or tutors. Students can post questions under the

topics of pre-calculus, calculus, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, finance,

economics, and a countless number of other subjects. This service is incredibly helpful for any

student due to the convenience of being able to access the website from any computer, and the

clarity of explanations received for each question. Students often are found studying and doing

homework late into the night while teachers and tutors are sleeping. Cramster not only links

students and tutors together, but it also keeps every question ever asked saved on the website for

convenient access. Often, if a student needs help on a question, the question has already beenasked and answered on Cramster. This facilitates the learning process and helps students in a

timely manner.

Tips:

In order to ask questions, the student either has to either pay for a membership or answerother peoples questions to earn points.

All previously asked questions can be viewed for free. Most questions can be found byusing the search bar on the top right side of the homepage.

Use the explanations to help learn material; using Cramster merely to find homeworkanswers does not help retain information.
http://www.cramster.com/my_cramsterhttp://www.cramster.com/my_cramsterhttp://www.cramster.com/my_cramsterhttp://www.cramster.com/my_cramster


11/19

11

College Science Major Resources:


12/19

12

Wiley Online LibraryJournal of Computational ChemistryLocation:http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1096-987X


While completing the required college chemistry classes and labs, theJournal ofComputational Chemistry is often a useful source of information that can support

findings in the laboratory.

This journal makes searching through complicated science material a less burdensometask than other online journals.

Description:

The Wiley Online Library contains over 4 million reputable articles from over 1500 journals.The specific Journal of Computational Chemistry has articles that focus on areas of chemistry

such as organic, inorganic, biological, physical and many others. Considering this wide range of

contents, this professional journal is usable over a wide range of different courses and can be

trusted as a reputable source. Original experiments are talked about and explained in articles that

differ from other journals. This type of information can distinguish a students lab reports from

all of the other students. The journal is broken down systematically by volumes and issues,

which correspond to months and years. If the exact date of the article being looked for is not

known, the student can use the search bar on the right side of the website to quickly find a

desired article. Each article presented in the journal has a personal abstract. This brief summary

of key points is useful because a reader can decide whether or not to read the entire journal

article expediently.

Tips:

When searching for a specific topic in the search bar, be as specific as possible. Thisjournal is very comprehensive so for each search, multiple results will most likely show.

Citations for each article are premade. Rather than producing your own citation, makesure to save the given citation.

Since this is a science journal, the date of the article may or may not make the statedinformation outdated. Make sure that the information in the article is either current, or

date independent if you are going to use it.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1096-987Xhttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1096-987Xhttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1096-987Xhttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1096-987X


13/19

13

Catalogue of US Government PublicationsLocation:http://catalog.gpo.gov/F?RN=999363223


This is a reliable tool for finding government publications for past and presentinformation.

The data and statistics presented by the publications are undoubtedly reliable. Certain lab reports for biological sciences and chemistry require federal information that

can be found in this catalogue of publications.

Description:

The Catalogue of US Government Publications contains over 500,000 pieces dating from 1976;certain records date back to the late 1800s. This website can link the user to an abundance of

federal documents by means of a very comprehensive search system. The advanced search

option lets the user search for information on a very specific level; one can search by keyword,

title, ISBN number, publication date, stock number, contract number and various other ways. As

a science major, one chemistry lab requires the student to identify real world uses of a method of

identifying the makeup of a material called chromatography. After searching for chromatography

on this catalogue, a publication about identifying the contents of cocaine was found.

Incorporating information from a federal publication into a lab report instills ethos and can

justify previous claims.

Bibliographic data of the chromatography report:

Title - Analysis of cocaine, its metabolites, pyrolysis products, and ethanol adducts in

postmortem fluids and tissues using Zymark automated solid-phase extraction and gas

chromatography-mass spectrometry [electronic resource].

Publisher - Washington, DC : U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration,

Office of Aerospace Medicine, [2003].

Tips: Use the advance search option on the homepage. The amount of publications is very large

and specificity is key in finding relevant information.

Using government publications can make information seem very reputable increasing theeffectiveness of the paper.

It can be hard to paraphrase information found on government publications. DO NOT COPY AND PASTE INFORMATION. Plagiarism will ruin any students

college career.
http://catalog.gpo.gov/F?RN=999363223http://catalog.gpo.gov/F?RN=999363223http://catalog.gpo.gov/F?RN=999363223http://catalog.gpo.gov/F?RN=999363223


14/19

14

ScirusFor Scientific Information OnlyLocation:http://www.scirus.com/srsapp/


This scientific index links the user to specifically science related items. Being a purely science oriented search tool, unwanted information is bypassed facilitating

and hastening the research process.

Description:

Scirus is a simple, efficient index of all desirable science information. Scirus indexes over 410

million different science pieces that can be accessed through a simple search bar. The homepage

of the index is google-esqu; there is a plain search bar with the option of performing an advanced

search. After searching for a keyword or other piece of content, the results are filtered by file

type or source. Also, keywords that can be used to refine the search are listed. This index is

necessary for every science student because it instantly presents only science information. No

time is wasted sifting through irrelevant pieces when conducting research. When a student is

required to put together large amounts of information quickly, time wasted filtering out

undesired information is costly.

Tips:

Use the advanced search option when searching for a keyword and be very specific. Do not get lost in the bulk of information presented. Refine searches so that time is not

wasted.

Read the short summary under each title presented in order to decide whether the articleis relevant to your research.
http://www.scirus.com/srsapp/http://www.scirus.com/srsapp/http://www.scirus.com/srsapp/http://www.scirus.com/srsapp/


15/19

15

The 2011 Statistical AbstractU.S. Census BureauLocation:http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/


If needed, this website can provide government statistics over a wide range of topics. Using a government statistic adds authority to a statement, making any normal statement

much stronger.

Description:

The Statistical Abstract of the United States documents all information about the economy,

politics, and society dating back to 1878. This resource is useful when asked to find any

statistical information about the United States. As an example, say a teacher asks for information

about funding research and development for science. To find figures about this topic, access the

Statistical Abstract by clicking the above hyperlink or by typing the link location into the search

bar on a web browser. On the left side of the homepage are various sections where data is

contained. Under the Science and Technology tab, there is a subcategory called Expenditures,

Research and Development. When clicked, different PDF files are listed which all contain

statistical information. After clicking the link titledResearch and Development (R&D)

Expenditures by Source and Objective, a table filled with numbers shows up. This reputable data

can be used to answer the teachers prompt. This is how one performs research; find a reputable

source, then use the source to find information that can be presented in document form.

Tips:

Since there are many categories of statistics, if the category you are looking for is notinitially seen, try using the search box on the right side of the page to locate what you are

looking for.

Read the tables of data slowly considering how much information they contain.Information that can be helpful may present itself and provide more supportive evidence

to what you were initially looking for.
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/


16/19

16

Website Citations: Chronologically Ordered


17/19

17

Penn StateEberly College of Science

"Penn State's Accelerated Premedical-Medical Program (B.S./M.D.)Eberly College of

Science." Penn State Science News Eberly College of Science. Penn State. Web. 06 July 2011..

Collegeboard

Inspiring Minds

College Admissions - SAT - University & College Search Tool. Web. 06 July 2011.

.

KaplanTest Prep

Welcome to Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. Web. 06 July 2011. .

CramsterA Chegg Company

Homework Help from Cramster | Math, Algebra, Physics, Chemistry, Science, History,

Accounting, English. Web. 06 July 2011. .

Wiley Online Library Journal of Computational Chemistry"Journal of Computational Chemistry." Wiley Online Library. Web. 07 July 2011..

Catalogue of US Government Publications

"Entire CGP Catalog." Catalogue of U.S. Government Publications. Web. 07 July 2011.

.

ScirusFor Scientific Information Only

Scirus - for Scientific Information. Web. 07 July 2011. .

The 2011 Statistical Abstract U.S. Census Bureau

"The 2011 Statistical Abstract." Census Bureau Home Page. Web. 07 July 2011.

.


18/19

18

Image Citations: Chronologically Ordered


19/19

19

Penn State Logo

Penn State logo. Digital image.Eberly College of Science. Penn State. Web. 6 July 2011.

.

Collegeboard Logo

Collegeboard logo. Digital image. Collegeboard. Web. 6 July 2011..

Kaplan Logo

Kaplan logo. Digital image. Kaplan Test Prep. Web. 6 July 2011. .

Cramster Logo

Cramster logo. Digital image. Cramster.com - A Chegg Company. Web. 6 July 2011.

.

Wiley Online Library Logo

Wiley Online Library logo. Digital image. Wiley Online Library. Web. 7 July 2011..

GPO Access Logo

GPO Access Logo. Digital image. Catalogue of U.S. Government Publications. Web. 7 July

2011. .

Scirus Logo

Scirus logo. Digital image. Scirus. Web. 7 July 2011. .

Statistical Abstract of the United States Logo

Statistical Abstract logo. Digital image. The 2011 Statistical Abstract. Web. 7 July 2011..

Penn State Watermarked Logo

Penn State School Watermark. Digital image. Web. 28 June 2011. .

Online Resource Guide for Prospective PMM Students

Documents

Transcript of Online Resource Guide for Prospective PMM Students